


6 Billion Secrets

by BleedMeAMelody



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: 6 billion secrets, Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Mentions of Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-26
Updated: 2013-07-26
Packaged: 2017-12-21 11:28:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/899766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BleedMeAMelody/pseuds/BleedMeAMelody
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>But looking into the other boy’s eyes, a warm feeling began blooming in Zayn’s stomach because there was something new in them now, a wondrous light that made Zayn feel like he was melting from the inside out, a light that said maybe his feelings were shared. And maybe that was okay because maybe that was a flash of hope in those blue eyes and maybe that was a spark of something in Zayn’s chest.<br/>Maybe this would work, and maybe Zayn had to thank this stupid game for that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	6 Billion Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a secret I once saw on the website with the same name.

       Zayn stood in the middle of the gym and heaved a sigh. Groups of students and teachers mingled around his, but he paid them no attention as he glanced around at the tables that had been set up with little interest. It was Red Ribbon Week, meaning the entire school had been decorated in an effort to educate kids on the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Police officers, victims of drunk driving, and past alcoholics and drug users had been invited as guest speakers to preach their stories to anyone who would listen. Zayn didn’t even want to be at school in the first place, but since he was, he figured that this was at least better than going to class.

       A long strip of bright pink duct tape stood out against the dirty gym floor. A large group of people were crowding around a rather flustered looking middle aged man holding a clipboard. Zayn snorted. The Line Game. Figures. Hands latched onto each of his wrists, and he suddenly found himself being dragged towards said gathering crowd. Startled, he looked at his captors. Harry and Louis. Of course, he should’ve known. The pair simply smiled at him as Zayn allowed himself to be manhandled across the gym. There was no stopping those two once they made up their minds.

       Once they reached the group of people, Harry and Louis promptly began pushing their way to the front, fingers still wrapped firmly around Zayn’s wrists. As they fought their way through the masses, Zayn frowned. He didn’t remember there being this many people here last year. Whispers and stares were being pointed in his direction. Not at him, though, people would actually have to know who he was in order to talk shit about him, but rather at the idiots who had taken him captive and were forcing him to participate in this stupid game. Once they reached the front his wrists were released as said idiots were once again turned their attention back to each other. Zayn sighed and rolled his eyes. Of course.

       Last year, Louis and Harry had made the game famous when they used it as a means of announcing their relationship to the entire school. When the man asked about those who liked people of the same sex, the two of them had stepped forward, hand in hand. When their actions only brought about a shocked silence from their classmates, they began making out, just to make sure their point was clear. It had definitely been a memorable event. Zayn surveyed the people around him once more. They were hoping for a repeat of last year, which he found revolting. This was supposed to be a chance to be free from the judgment of others and see how you’re never really alone, how there are other people out there who’ve gone through similar experiences, not a chance to get the latest gossip. The man with the clipboard cleared his throat and the students fell into silence.

       “How many of you are familiar with The Line Game?”

       Grinning, Harry and Louis raised their entwined hands, along with the majority of the other people there. Zayn heaved yet another sigh and raised his too. The man nodded.

       “Good. I’ll still go ahead and explain it for those of you who don’t know. It’s quite simple. I’ll say a statement or ask a question, and if it applies to you, you step forward onto the line. Make sense?”

       Everyone nodded, and the man gave a smile before beginning. Zayn zoned out a bit as they went through the usual questions. Have you ever tried alcohol? Step to the line. Have you ever experimented with drugs of any kind? Step to the line. Have you ever had unprotected sex? Step to the line. Have you ever been to a party where alcohol was present? Step to the line. Have you ever allowed someone to drive a vehicle even though you knew they had been drinking? Step to the line. It was quite repetitive, not to mention boring.

       “Have you ever considered suicide?”

       That question brought Zayn back to reality with a start, his eyes darting around the crowd anxiously, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Nobody moved a muscle. Nobody said a word. Everyone looked to one another; curious as to if anyone would step up. After a few more moments of silence, Zayn looked at the man with the clipboard, waiting for him to continue, but almost as if he sensed something, the man waited. Zayn looked again at his classmates, trying to analyze their faces to see if one of them would move. He sure as hell wasn’t about to be the first. No one said you had to step forward; there was no punishment for not doing it, even if a statement applied to you. It was a challenge by choice, and Zayn definitely wasn’t choosing to.

       Suddenly there was movement. Zayn whipped his head around to see a boy with short blond hair tentatively step forward. Immediately, the crowd erupted into noise, but the kid never looked up from his shoes, avoiding their piercing stares and vicious whispers. Zayn ignored them all, eyes never leaving the brave soul who had decided to step to the line. He’d seen him in the hallways a few times; they might’ve even had a few classes together. Wracking his brain, he couldn’t for the life of him come up with a name, only bright smiles, carefree laughter, and breathtaking blue eyes. To Zayn’s knowledge, he didn’t seem like the kind of person who would contemplate killing themselves, but then again, neither did Zayn.

       He heard Louis snort beside him, and immediately turned to glare at his friend. There was absolutely nothing funny about wanting to end your life. Louis held his hands up defensively, surprise and confusion written on his face. Zayn turned back around, only to find the blond-haired boy looking right at him. Well, more accurately, he was trying to see who it was who had laughed at him, but Zayn was standing in the way. As brown eyes met blue, Zayn decided that this was one ocean he didn’t mind drowning in. A sea of emotions were swimming behind those enchanting eyes, but they were guarded and cautious, leaving Zayn with a strange feeling in his chest as he caught glimpses of things he didn’t quite understand.

       What felt like hours was only a few mere seconds, but Zayn couldn’t bring himself to look away. There was something there in those blue eyes, though, something that had him searching for more, something whole, something reassuring. Without permission, his feet began to move, not stopping until the tips of his Converse were standing on the edge of the duct tape line. He looked down at his feet in shock, panic welling up in his bones and threatening to close off his windpipe. What the hell had he just done? He looked back up at the other boy, and the fear must’ve been evident in his eyes because he gave Zayn a small smile, and Zayn tentatively returned it.

       The consensus in the gym was that this was definitely better than last year. Doubling in force and volume, the whispers and stares clawed at Zayn’s skin, trying to seep into his skin and clog his veins. Zayn neither heard nor felt them, for he was too busy losing himself in this boy, with his blond hair and captivating eyes and understanding smile. How was it possible that Zayn had ever passed him in the halls without giving him a second glance? He wanted to hold him and touch him and just be with him, to hear his stories and chase away the nightmares, to know him inside and out, a revelation that knocked the breath out of him, making him light-headed and woozy as blood began pounding in his ears.

       But looking into the other boy’s eyes, a warm feeling began blooming in Zayn’s stomach because there was something new in them now, a wondrous light that made Zayn feel like he was melting from the inside out, a light that said maybe his feelings were shared. And maybe that was okay because maybe that was a flash of hope in those blue eyes and maybe that was a spark of something in Zayn’s chest.

       Maybe this would work, and maybe Zayn had to thank this stupid game for that.

       Maybe Zayn had finally met someone who understood, someone he could share all of his secrets with.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on [Tumblr](http://thesoundofyou-andme.tumblr.com) so come say hi!


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